Visible-filing device



Oct. C. V. OLSON VISIBLE FILING DEVICE FiledNo v. i925 MARY JA NE Patented on. 11, 1927.

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teases CARL VICTOR OLSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

VISIBLE-FILING DEVICE.

Application filed. November This invention relates to card index or filing systems, more particularly to those in which means are provided for holding cards, envelopes or other substantially flat members, normally inoverlapping relation, leaving an exposed edge portion of'each card or envelope or other member, whereby the different cards or envelopes or other members-can be easily removed and inserted, and may be folded over in either direction, toward and away from each other, thereby to facilitate inspection of the cards or envelopes or other members, when such is de sirable or necessary.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide anovel and improved holder for cards or envelopes or other fiat members, for a card index or filing system of the foregoing general character, which can be manufactured more or less inexpensively, which shall-be conve lent to handle, and which will facilitate the insertion and removal of the cards or envelopes or other flat members, and the inspection thereof.

It also an object to provide certain details and features of construction tending to increase the general efficiency and the desirability of a card index or filing system of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends, the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and claimed, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,--

Fig. 1 is an upper edge view of aholder for cards, envelopes or other flat members, involving the principles of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of said holder, showing the same open, and showing cards inserted in the card-holding devices.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail section on line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

As thus illustrated, the invention comprises a foldable cover 1, foldable longitudinally along the center 2 thereof, like an ordinary book cover, or like an ordinary temporary binder.

The wire clips 3, which may be of the kind commonly used for holding papers together, are applied to the inner surface of section of the foldable cover, and are held in place by strips 4 of adhesive tape, or by other means, in the manner shown, whereby these wire clips are hinged in place to swing upward or downward in the manner indicated. These wire d vices are ar- 16,1925. Serial N5. 69,257.

sired purpose, and the card may have memoranda entered thereon from time totime, relating to such person; I

. It is obvious, of course, that envelopes (not shown) can be inserted in place of the cards, or that any flat members can be. inserted inthe wire clips and held in place in the desired manner.

Thus, the cards can be folded toward and away from each other, to facilitate access and reference thereto, but at the same time a the cards will lie down flatwise, so to speak, in'overlapping relation, when the two sections of the foldable cover are brought to gether, thus forming a practically flat holder which can be easily and conveniently stored in a drawer, or in any other place, without taking up much room. When the "two sections of the cover are moved apart,

the cards or envelopes or other flat mem-, bers can then be removed or lnserted, very easily, or folded toward and away from each other to permit reference thereto, in a manner that will be readily understood. Any card can be removed without disturbing the other cards, if such is necessary or desirable.

Thus the wire clips 3 are applied to the inner surface of one section of the foldable cover, and the inner surface of the other section may have guides 6 for receiving a sheet of paper 7 upon which memoranda can be made. Similar guides 8 on the inner surface ofthe same section, at a point below,

can be provided, to receive a smaller section 9 of paper or sheet material, upon which to make memoranda. lVhen the cover is folded and closed, the sheets of paper 7 and 9 will bear against the cards 5, orenvelopes or other flat members, obviously, so thatthe whole thing is reduced to a comparatively thin and fiat structure which can easily be filed or stored away when not in use.

The invention is net lim d nyparticular form of clips 3, and any suit-able form can be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, but theclips of whatever form are preferably hinged and thereby pivotally connected to the inner surface of one section of the foldable cover, by any suitable means, thereby to permit the manipulation of the cards or other flat members in the described manner.

, Thus it will be seen that the wire clips or card holders 8 are not only arranged in uniformly spaced and longitudinally extendin rows, but are also arranged in oblique transverse rows, with the members of each oblique row uniforml spaced apart therein, whereby. one-half tie members of each oblique row, at one side of the cover section or support, are disposed in position to cooperate with one-half the members of the next row at the other side of the, support. In other words, and looking at .Fig. 2 of the drawings, the four clips 3 at the right in any oblique row are disposed in position to vco-operate with the four clips at the left in the next row, and thus the cards can be spaced apart differentdistances, and in ad'- dition the clips will not interfere with each other when the cards are swung about their transverse axes and spread apart or folded together. 7

The cover sections 1, connected by the flexible back 2, form a flat booklilre support, and the overlapping cards are compressed flatgin of each card, is obtained.

wise between the two cover sections, when the latter are brought together.

By the arrangement of the clips 3 as shown, it will be seen that no clip is in posit'ion to oi' erlap any other clip, and no clip can engage any other clip. In this Way, a maximum of overlap, as between the cards, with practically a minimum of exposed mar- Also, with this arrangement, whereby the clips do not overlap each other, the cards lie down more flatly upon each other.

lVithout disclaiming anything, and without prejudice to any novelty disclosed, what I claim as my invention is I In a visible indexing or filing system, the combination of a flat support, wire spring clips arranged in parallel longitudinal rows and spaced apart uniformly on 'sa id s'np'poi t and formed to receive and frictionally grip cards or other flat members, With the clips of the different rows forming oblique par allel transverse rows in which the clipsaie spaced apart uniformly, the size and form and arrangement of the clips preventing any clip from overlapping or engaging any other clip, and means for pivotally attaching the wire clips'to the support, holding the clips against lateral displacement upon the flat support. p t

Specification sig'nedthis 14th day of November, 1925. I

CARL V. OLSON, 

